Websites and content
Still image content
Images communicate concepts quickly and increase the attractiveness of your web content. A website for a restaurant for example, can include photos of the food and the interior. A website for hardware could include images of the tools and items for sale.
Using images
Images can range from small logos, symbols and icons to graphs, diagrams, photographs and other images.
When using graphs, diagrams, photographs and pictures you should provide some contextual information should usually be provided to explain its relevance, either within the accompanying text, or as a label, or both.
As for all content, it is important that you own the intellectual property of the images you use on your site or that you have permission from the copyright holder(s) and acknowledge them appropriately. See the legal issues section for more information.
When placing image files on a website it is important that the file size and resolution are suitable for the intended purpose.
- The higher the resolution the larger the file size and the slower the image will load in the user’s web browser.
- For images that are displayed only on the screen, a low resolution (generally a minimum of 72 pixels per inch) is preferable.
- Images that are intended for download for other purposes (such as for a computer desktop or for printing) may require a significantly higher resolution.
- Images with a lower resolution load quickly in a browser, but if the resolution is too low for the purpose the image will appear pixelated and indistinct.
Because search engines cannot search images, it is important that you include tags in the form of metadata describing the image so search engines can pick them up. See tagging and metadata for more information.
Sourcing images
There are several options available to you to source images, including:
- creating your own
- licensing or purchasing images from photo libraries
- using pre-cleared images that are licensed under a Creative Commons licence.
If you do not have high quality images of your own, some online image galleries offer images for sale that do not require payment of any further royalties when used later. Browsing these image libraries can also help give you some ideas if you are struggling to present a concept, service or activity visually.
Australian image services include:
International image services include:
One of the largest repositories of Creative Commons (CC) licensed images is on Flickr. You can find CC-licensed images via the Flickr advanced search function at http://www.flickr.com/search/advanced/
More information about Creative Commons on Flickr is at: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons.
Icons and symbols
Symbols and icons can be used to reduce the amount of text on a page.
Many social media sites also have their own icons or symbols that are commonly recognised and used, for example:
RSS
The icons can provide useful signals to your presence on these social media platforms. You should ensure that you use these and any other icons and symbols consistent with any guidelines the relevant owners provide for their use.
